Apparatus for polishing metal articles



R. F. DALTON.

APPARATUS FOR POLISHING METAL ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE24, I920.

Patented; Oct. 3, 1922.,

Patented met. 3, i922.

lTED STATES RICHARD FRANCIS DALTON, 01F ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR POLISHING METAL ARTICLES.

Application filed June 24,

,To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD FRANCIS DAL'roN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at- 31 Central Street, Ansonia, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Apparatus for Polishing Metal Articles, of which the following is a specification. r

This invention relates to apparatus for polishing, abrading or sand buffing metal articles and particularly to apparatus for use in connection with machines in which the articles, for example, articles of silverware, hollowware, brass, is held by hand against a buffing wheel rotated by being mounted on a suitable rotating spindle.

In the polishing of such article it is usual for the operator in polishing the work, tov

drop by hand fine sand or other suitable abrading material so that during the rotation of the buffing wheel, the particles of sand pass between the latterand the article so as to act on the surface or surfaces thereof whereby a polish is produced thereon.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically depositing the sand or other abrading material. I

A further object is to provide means for collecting the sand after it has been used and returning it again to be deposited on the article.

It will be understood that by the use of such an apparatus there is effected great economy in the quantity of sand used, furthermore there is less attention required on the part of the operator, and the operator can use both hands in the manipulation of the article to be polished or abraded.

A further advantage lies in the fact that the sand or other suitable abrading material does not accumulate on parts of the machine or work bench beneath the rotating spindle carrying the bufiing wheel, as by the use of the apparatus the sand or other polishing or abrading material will be immediately removed to be again used for polishing.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of apparatus constructed according to the invention,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the complete apparatus.

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation of a 1920. Serial No. 391,470.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a part of Figure 1, hereafter more particularly described;

In carrying out the invention, the apparatus 1s supported in any suitable manner, adJacent the spindle of a buffing machine carrying the buffing wheel for example, on a part of the machine or on a work bench or a support for the machine below the rotating spindle.

The sand or other polishing or abrading material is placed in a cylindrical receiving receptacle a, that is arranged when the apparatus is placed in position, so that the rotating spindle carrying the buffing wheel projects over the receptacle whereby the sand or other abrading material, that is by means hereafter described, directed on to the article while being held against the bufiing wheel will fall, thereinto after it has acted on the article.

For this purpose the cylindrical receptacle has a longitudinal strip cut out from the upper part of its periphery so as to leave a substantially rectangular opening 6. To each of the longer sides of the opening there is secured an outwardly inclined member consisting of a plate 0. The end d, of the receptacle is also provided with an outwardly inclined plate 6.

These plates 0 and 6, form a chute or the like which directs the sand or abrading material into the rectangular opening from whence it drops into the receptacle.

There may also be provided an open ended hood or cover 7', so that any sand that is thrown off the buffing wheel, by centrifugal force will be caused to pass down into the receptacle.

The receptacle is provided with bearings g, h, at its ends, in which a shaft 2, is mounted carrying a screw or worm conveyer The shaft is driven by gear wheels Z, m, from 100 a main shaft is, that is driven from any suitable source of power.

One end of the receptacle opens into a vertical chamber n, having therein a vertical shaft 0, rotatably supported in a footstep 105 bearing 2, and a bearing g, intermediate its ends, formed by an aperture in a closure member at the lower end of the vertical chamber. The shaft 0, carries a worm 1",

that extends from the part of the vertical 110 chamber adjacent the open end of the receiving receptacle a, to .the upper part thereof, the lower end of the chamber being closed by the cover or closure 8, the upper surface of which is substantially on the same level as the lower surface of the interior of the receiving receptacle.

The upper end of the vertical chamber a, is open and communicates at said end with one end of a transverse conveying chamber 2. The latter has a suitable nozzle or discharge orifice u, at its opposite end whereby the sand is directed onto the article to be polished. Within the transverse chamber and extending from the end Where the nozzle or discharge orifice is situated, to a position over the worm 7,", is a shaft a, carrying a worm or conveyer 2, said shaftbeing supported in bearings 10, 00', at the end of the transverse chamber and upper part of the vertical chamber u, respectively.

The shafts carrying the worms or con- .veyers 7' and 2-, and the worm 1', are rotated at suitable speeds in any suitable manner.

In the example shown, the main shaft is, has fixed thereto a worm 1, which meshes with a worm wheel 2, fixed to the shaft 0, carrying the worm 1 The shaft 0, also has fixed thereto a-bevel wheel 3, which gears at one side with a bevel wheel 4, fixed to a shaft supported in suitable bearings on a supporting frame and carrying at its outer end the gear wheel Z, meshing with the gear wheel m, previously referred to. The bevel wheel 3, also gears with a bevel wheel 5, fixed to the lower end of a shaft 6, having fixed to its upper end a bevel wheel 7 meshing with a bevel wheel fixed to the shaft 1), carrying the worm or conveyer a. Fast and loose pulleys 8 and 9, are preferably provided whereby the operation of the apparatus can be started and stopped as and when desired.

In operation the apparatus is placed in a suitable position as hereinbefore described, and a suitable quantity of fine sand or other polishingor abrading material is placed in the receptacle a, and upon starting the apparatus said material will be conveyed by the rotating worm or conveyer j, to the open end of the receptacle a, into the lower end of the vertical chamber a, wherein it is lifted receptacle, raised by the vertical worm and then conveyed along the transverse chamber to the discharge nozzle or orifice.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of the worm conveying and elevating means for the sand or abrading material as any suitable apparatus may be employed for conveying and lifting the sand or other polishing or abrading material.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a rotary member carrying a bufi'ing or polishing element against which is held the article to be polished, and means for directing sand or like polishing or abrading material onto the polishing element, said means consisting of a receiver located above said polishing element having a discharge orifice or nozzle,means within the receiver for positively conveying the sand or like polishing or abrading material to said orifice or nozzle, a container located below the polishing element for receiving the polish ing or abrading material, and conveying and elevating means-for positively removing the material from the container and returning it to said receiver.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination a rotary element carrying a buffing or polishing element against which is held the article to be polished, means located above the bufiing or polishing element for directing sand or other abrading material onto the article to be polished, a receptacle situated below the rotary element for receiving the sand after it has acted on the article having an opening at its upper portion, outwardly inclined members subtending said opening for directing the sand to said opening as it falls after acting on the article, and a hood or cover extending over and above the space between the outwardly inclined members to receive the sand or like polishing or abrading material thrown off by the centrifugal force from the rotary member.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination a rotary element carrying a bufiing or polishing element against which is held the article to be polished, means for directing-sand or like polishing or: abrading material onto the polishing element, said directing means consisting of a transversely extending chamber located above said buffing or polishing element having a discharge orifice or nozzle in its wall, a shaft -rotatably mounted in said chamber, a worm on said shaft for feeding the sand or like polishing or abrading material to said nozzle or discharge orifice, a receptacle for receiving said material after it has acted on the article to be polished, a

shaft rotatably mounted in said'receptacle, a worm on said shaft for conveying the sand or other abrading material from the receptacle, and means for receiving the material therefrom and conveying it to said directing means.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination a rotary. element carrying a bufiing or polishing element against which is held the article to be polished, means situated above the rotary element for directing sand onto the bufling or polishing element consisting of a transversely extending chamber having a discharge orifice or nozzle in its Wall, a shaft rotatably mounted in said chamber, a Worm on said shaft for feeding the sand to said nozzle or discharge orifice, a receptacle situ ated below the rotary member for receiving the sand after it has acted on the article to be polished, a shaft rotatably mounted in said receptacle, a Worm on said shaft for conveying the sand or other abrading material from the receptacle and a vertical chamber communicating at its lower end with said receptacle, and at' its upper end with said transversely extending chamber, a shaft rotatably mounted in said vertical chamber, and a Worm on said shaft for conveying the sand'or other abrading material from the receptacle to said transversely extending chamber.

RICHARD FRANCIS DALTON. 

